Vegetarian meals for a healthy and economical diet – 01/31/2023 at 08:30
Here are some tips for taking the plunge and approaching vegetarian cooking. (photo credit: Getty Images)
After the holiday meals, many of you want to change your diet. One of the resolutions is to reduce or even eliminate meat. This may be for reasons of health, environmental protection or animal ethics. It’s also a way to reduce your food budget, because meat, especially good quality meat, is expensive. Here are some tips for taking the plunge and experimenting with vegetarian cooking.
The vegetarian diet: a winning pact
A recent study shows that if every French person switched to a vegetarian diet, they would save up to 2,770 liters of water per person per day, or more than one million liters per year. For example, according to Unesco, producing one kilo of beef requires more than 15,000 liters of water compared to 1,800 liters for one kilogram of grain.
Another benefit, eliminating red meat or processed meat products like deli meats could reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and even some cancers. Finally, a study published in 2021 by the Oxford department shows an almost 30% drop in the receipt if you switch to a vegetarian diet. If you opt for a “flexitarian” diet, which consists of reducing meat consumption, you can save 14%.
The basics of the vegetarian diet
In its pure and hard form, the vegetarian diet excludes all products of animal origin such as meat, fish, crustaceans or molluscs. But it’s up to you, according to your preferences, since nothing prevents you from eating sardines or mussels. Rest assured, foods of animal origin such as cheese, honey or eggs are allowed. The principle is still to honor seasonal fruit and vegetables, cereals, starchy foods, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also feel free to add spices and oils of all kinds.
Where can I find vegetarian recipes?
There is no shortage of cookbooks. On amazon.fr (partner The Corner *), you will find
The Great Book of vegetarian cuisine from the five continents
(
€29.95
) where the
Vegetarian recipe book: the 150 tastiest recipes
(
€10.99
). The website https://chefsimon.com/ offers delicious recipes such as Maroilles tart, red cabbage a la lilac, chard au gratin or vegetable caviar. At https://menu-vegetarien.com/ you will discover many menus for every day that are as quick as they are cheap. They are meant to make you forget (at least for a while) the meat. You’ll find something to impress your guests, such as quinoa pizza with cumin, broccoli, pears and mozzarella or conchiglioni stuffed with mascarpone. Cuisine from around the world or very French dishes, you’ll be spoiled for choice among the “veggie” recipes!
Growing your own garden becomes the best solution again
According to the “Rural households” price observatory published in July 2022, the conventional fruit and vegetable basket has increased by 11% in one year, double the rate of inflation. Eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day and per person represents between 5 and 16% of the monthly net minimum wage for a family of four, depending on the composition of the basket. As of June 2022, a typical basket costs approximately for a family of two adults and two children
107 euros
. If the basket contained the cheapest fruit and vegetables on the market, its price was between
60 and 86 euros
. Organic has increased less, but remains more expensive. Eating organic fruits and vegetables now boils down to
198 euros
per month for a family of four. With each major crisis, growing her own garden has become obvious. On a plot of land, in a shared garden or on your balcony, you have the opportunity to acquire a certain autonomy by growing and consuming your own fruit and vegetables.
* If you are a Boursorama Banque client, you will benefit from an advantage with these brands through The Corner. Discover the discounts just for you: Amazon.
If you are not (yet) a Boursorama Banque client, discover The Corner’s advice here.
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